1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a system for facilitating wireless communication, and more specifically, to a system for controlling a wireless communication device in determining whether there is an association between various tagged items.
2. Background
A wireless communication device (WCD) may communicate over a multitude of networks. Cellular networks facilitate WCD communications over large geographic areas. For example, the Global System for Mobile Telecommunications (GSM) is a widely employed cellular network that communicates in the 900 MHZ-1.8 GHZ band in Europe and at 1.9 GHZ in the United States. This system provides a multitude of features including audio (voice), video and textual data communication. For example, the transmission of textual data may be achieved via the Short Messaging Service (SMS). SMS allows a WCD to transmit and receive text messages of up to 160 characters. It also provides data transfer to packet networks, ISDN and POTS users at 9.6 Kbps. While cellular networks like GSM provide a global means for transmitting and receiving data, due to cost, traffic and legislative concerns, a cellular network may not be appropriate for all data applications.
More recently, manufacturers have begun to incorporate various devices for providing enhanced functionality in a WCD (e.g., hardware components and software for performing close-proximity wireless information exchanges). Sensors and/or scanners may be used to read visual or electronic information into a device. A transaction may involve a user holding their WCD in proximity to a target, aiming their WCD at an object (e.g., to take a picture), sweeping the device over a tag or document, etc. Machine-readable technologies such as radio frequency identification (RFID), Infra-red (IR) communication, optical character recognition (OCR) and various other types of visual, electronic and magnetic scanning are used to quickly input desired information into the WCD without the need for manual entry by a user.
For example, a user wishing to purchase or acquire information about a product may simply sweep the WCD over a tag attached or affixed to the product. In addition, the user may also be interested in purchasing additional accessories to be used with the product. However, currently there are no user-friendly means for determining compatibility of such accessories. The user must resort to reading packaging labels and product documentation to determine whether the item/accessory is compatible with the desired product. Non-technical users must try to determine whether high-tech devices are compatible, often ending up with the user buying and trying to implement an incompatible solution.